The Greatest Ski Season Ever

For those still undecided …

Mum, bless her cotton socks, is of that age where every damn thing was better “in my day”. Except, that is, for the 2017/18 ski season in the Italian Dolomites.

I have told her. But as Mum lives in York, in the UK and she isn’t very familiar with things ‘skiing’.

The Greatest Ever Ski Season

The best ever ski season is always the current one. After all, with recent weather patterns, who the heck knows how things will turn out next season.

But the 2017/18 Dolomites Ski Season is set to be the new benchmark following two or maybe three seasons of doom and gloom. People will talk of the 2017/18 season for decades to come. That is already assured.

About to ski ‘Santas Balls’, Obereggen

The Bullies are on the Ropes

The snow canons rest idle, while the piston-bullies are on the ropes having to deal with generational levels of snow. And we’ve only just made it into 2018 … with a fresh New Years Day snow fall of around 25cm ( Val Gardena, Dolomites ).

And theres more …

A few days out from the first weekend of January and the initial Inspired ITALY Dolomites Ski Safari of 2018, the weather forecast indicates a huge snow fall.

The current forecast show snow falls on Wednesday, Thursday and a seriously major dump over the weekend. Forecasts show up to 3 or 4cm per hour. The 72 hour accumulation could reach over a meter depth locally.

What does it all mean?

You’d have to be a sun worshiper not to appreciate the impact that this weather is having.

Skiing on fresh snow is like sailing smooth waters and a force 3 or 4; is riding your bike on a new road surface and a following breeze; hang gliding with large, smooth 1,000 ft per min thermals.

It is just how it should be, how you dream of it.

Stand-Out Ski Season

2017/18 is set to be the ‘stand-out’ Dolomites ski season, the best for a decade or more and, you can bet, for a decade to come.

Cruisy, Carving Ski Runs

Don’t get me wrong – we are not POW bunnies! No, we like cruisy, carving, groomed runs. Frankly, we don’t get enough POW to get the practice. We love to power down the slopes, on our edges, low to the ground, whizzing over and around terrain and the contours. That is what we love.

And the fresh snow means you’ve always got your edge. You can dig it in deep and hold it against the G force. Then, push it around and at the key moment, lift out of the perfect rail turn.

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Fresh Snow for the Eyes

In Italy they say that snow on the mountains, trees and roof tops is “per gli occhi”(for the eyes). But it is also for the heart and spirit. Fresh snow makes everyone happier. The atmosphere on the slopes is more relaxed. The pressure of the ‘will it/wont it’ has already evaporated.

These two beautiful and exceptional cruisy ski slopes opened at the beginning of the season. This is the first time in over ten years that they have opened before the main ski season got into its swing. A clear indicator of what is happening out there, right now, and you’re missing it!

Fresh-Tracks

If the snow gods smile upon you favourably, you’ll experience multiple ‘fresh-track’ days with a groomed piste covered by a few centimetres of POW. If you’re extremely fortunate this will happen for you on the Marmolada. Early one morning we fresh-tracked the entire 12k slope of the Marmolada in around 10cm/15cm of POW. One of the best ever ski memories.

Just do it

To borrow that well known phrase, my recommendation to you is, move heaven and earth to bag your ski trip and do it soon.